Southampton Magistrates’ Court heard that in May, Hutter failed to make the mobile phone available upon request to police and that he restored the factory settings on the phone.

He also didn’t register the name he was using on his Xbox.

At the time, Southampton Crown Court was told officials from the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) used a fake profile of a ten-year-old to snare him.

He was traced talking to a ten-year-old girl on social media and email.

Police raided his home and seized computer equipment containing 1,103 images – including 158 of the worst category, it was heard.

When sentencing Hutter, Judge Peter Henry said the images were “disturbing” and added: “No-one said you were directly involved in the abuse of these children but people are involved and they are in it to make money and in it to share these revolting images with people like you.

“The real victims are these young children.”

Hutter, of Spring Road, Southampton, pleaded guilty to the charges and was made the subject of a community order, which includes the requirement to complete 100 hours unpaid work within the next year.